Also
called as Aphthous ulcers occurs exclusively in mouth and appear as a round,
shallow whitish sore with red margin. Generally they appear small but sometimes
they can be large. Mouth Ulcers can occur on tongue, check, lips and floor of
the mouth. They never appear on roof of the mouth or top of the tongue. These
mouth ulcers are called “Recurrent Aphthous Ulcers” as they appear again and
again through the life until around 30 years of age. Generally before the ulcer
is formed you might have symptoms like burning or itching.

FACTS ABOUT APHTHOUS ULCERS

1.Very Common, about
3 million people suffer in United States

2.These ulcers are
not contagious, mean doesn’t spread from person to person

3.These ulcers are
not caused by bacteria or virus

4.Self-treatable and
usually resolve in 2 weeks

5.No need for any
Lab tests

6.Doesn’t appear
anywhere other than mouth

7.Family history of
the ulcers is common, about 1 in 3 patients

8.Generally start
around the age of 10-20 years

9.Generally stop
occurrence around 30 years of age

10. Usually occur 2-4 times a year

11. Not common in smokers

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CANKER
SORE AND COLD SORE

The
most commonly confused ailment with canker sore is cold sore. Below is the
simple table with clear differences.

Comparision

CANKER SORE

COLD SORE

Other Names

Aphthous Ulcer

Fever Blister

Causes

Not yet known

Herpes Simplex Virus

Location

Inside the mouth

Outside the Mouth

Appearance

Open white sore with red margin

Reddish, fluid filled blister

Number

Mostly single

Mostly groups

Contagious

No

Yes

Treatment

Alleviate pain only

Alleviate pain only

WHY YOU GET CANKER SORE

We
don’t know yet why we get aphthous ulcers hence called “idiopathic”. But there
are some predisposing factors which may precipitate or exacerbate the ulcers
like

1.
Stress

2.
Quitting Smoking

3.
Trauma

4.
Hormonal Changes

5.
Food Allergies

6.
Toothpaste Ingredients like SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulphate)

7.
Genetic Predisposition

WHAT IS THE TREATMENT

Generally
mouth ulcers heal in 10 days to 2 weeks.
No treatment is necessary unless they are very painful. If painful, Can
use Orajel or Orabase on the ulcer which will cover the ulcer and help numb
temporarily so that patient can eat food. Need to identify the predisposing
factors for ulcers and take care of them. Change the toothpaste which might
help in preventing future recurrence. Check what foods correlate with the
occurrence of ulcers so that you can avoid those food. Avoid spicy foods as
they may cause pain. If trauma from an existing appliances like denture or
retainer or a broken tooth, see our dentists at Lake Lanier Smiles and we can
do the necessary adjustments. Good oral hygiene is necessary to prevent any
infections.

In
severe cases or extremely painful cases, please call us at 770-831-0559 to see
your affordable Buford dentist so that we can prescribe some pain medications,
topical steroids and prescription mouth washes.

WHEN TO SEE THE DENTIST FOR SURE

1.When the symptoms
don’t resolve in 2 weeks

2.When its severely
debilitating and painful

3.When you are
running a fever with Ulcers

If you have any
questions about your Oral Health or to make an appointment to see us, Call us
at 770-831-0559 or visit us at WWW. LAKELANIERSMILES.COM for Valuable Coupons
and Specials. Our prices are 30-50 % Off Regular Prices. Call Us before Noon
and we will see you the Same Day. We accept most insurances. We are
conveniently located just off I-985 at 4965 Lanier Islands Parkway, Suite 105,
Buford, Ga- 30418. LAKE LANIER
SMILES provides Affordable dental care with outstanding customer service to
patients in Buford, Sugar Hill, Suwanee, Cumming, Flowery Branch and
surrounding areas.